Meditation can be mentally, physically, and emotionally uncomfortable. It also requires that you literally value doing nothing over doing a million other important things.

Meditation is this crazy paradox: it's "so easy" yet requires a lifetime of learning (and unlearning). And it doesn't always give you clear or positive feedback, like eating that piece of cake over there. :)

It's no surprise that you often don't feel like meditating, even though you know it enhances your well-being.

Meditation – especially in the early phases – is almost designed to turn you off from it!

Having seen this frustration in beginners again and again, I've decided to create a course that teaches a simple technique and how to avoid major pitfalls moving forward. After years of teaching, I'm tired of seeing people feel guilty and frustrated about their practice. I know it doesn't have to be that way.

Here are 3 strategies to use when you don't feel like meditating:

Meditate for less time

If you are low in motivation, make the behavior easier to do! One of the ways to make it easier to do is to meditate for less time.

Here's the important part about this strategy, so please read carefully:

When you decide to meditate for as little as one minute, you begin to move through your resistance to starting. You've just got to find a way to begin.

When you tell yourself "it's only a minute" and begin meditating...soon enough, you realize "this isn't as bad as I thought" and one minute becomes five minutes and maybe even ten and so on and so on.

And I am a firm believer of the notion that something – no matter how small – is better than nothing.

Use a Guided Meditation

Again, we're making meditation easier to do.

If you are low on willpower reserves, then offload the work! Grab a guided meditation. Sign up for my updates (bottom of post) as I often send out free guided meditations.

Here's the point: sometimes the wisest decision is to ask for guidance.

Make a Meditation Date

Let's say you really can't stand the thought of pausing to meditate. Then email or text a friend at that moment and make a date to meditate together that week. Yes, you are "delaying" the meditation, but more importantly, you're putting the structure in place to ensure that you will meditate soon.

You're basically giving yourself an "I owe you." It's a strategic and smart way to let yourself off the hook now, but put yourself on the hook later. Being accountable to someone else will make you less likely to cancel and back out.

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